This invention relates to boxes of card stock for packaging food items, such as taco shells and related filling materials, which boxes are convertible by the consumer into trays for carrying filled tacos from stove to table.
A novelty search hereon revealed the following U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Date Inventor ______________________________________ 3,332,340 July 25, 1967 Wirtz et al. 4,196,807 April 8, 1980 Brom 4,270,660 June 2, 1981 Putt 4,512,512 April 23, 1985 Fleming 4,535,891 August 20, 1985 Murdick et al. Des. 263,191 March 2, 1982 Moore Des. 263,786 April 13, 1982 Kohan Des. 266,816 November 9, 1982 Schupp Des. 267,143 December 7, 1982 Gessing et al. Des. 273,746 May 8, 1984 Hunt Des. 279,160 June 11, 1985 Hunt ______________________________________
Several of these eleven patents disclose devices specifically for holding tacos, but only two of the eleven patents disclose food carriers formed of card stock. These are the patents to Brom and Fleming, neither of which relates to a taco holder. The patents to Brom disclose a cup carrier of card stock, held together by glue strips or staples. The patent to Fleming discloses a fast food serving tray of card stock, in which connecting tabs at the ends of the tray are adhesively held together.
The patents to Murdick et. al. is typical of the patents relating to taco trays. This tray is, however, made by molding or die forming.
To summarize, the eleven patents do not disclose a card stock box for packaging food items, such as taco shells and related filling materials, which box is convertible by the consumer into a tray for carrying filled tacos from stove to table.
It is an important object of the invention to provide a card stock box for packaging food items, such as taco shells and related filling materials, which box is convertible by the consumer into a tray for carrying filled tacos form stove to table.
It is another object to provide such a box that can be produced by a simple modification of an existing box now in use for packaging taco shells.
It is a further object to provide such a modified box produced by the addition of perforated score lines to such an existing box, such that the modified box can be produced at little, if any, increase in cost.
It is an additional object to provide such a modified box that is disposable.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.